MANILA, Philippines - Emmanuel Comendador and Ruffa Sorongon turned back their rivals to rule their respective divisions in the 21k run of the National Milo Marathon 12th qualifier in Tagbilaran, Bohol yesterday.
The 25-year-old Comendador posted a time of 01:16:00 to beat Elmer Bartolo (01:17:00) and Azlan Pagay (01:17:00) while Sorongon proved too tough in the distaff side, winning by over 16 minutes with a 01:33:48 clocking.
Jennifer Sabella placed second in 01:49:08 while Rhodora Oporto timed 01:50:06 for third in the event which drew over 4,000 runners with Comendador and Sorongon leading 28 others to the national finals set Dec. 7 at the MOA grounds in Pasay City.
Comendador and the 23-year-old Sorongon from South Cotabato received P10,000 each plus trophies for a shot at the Tokyo Marathon next year.
“I wasn’t really planning to join the marathon but my coach Jojo Posadas encouraged me to do so. I’m grateful that he pushed me to join and I will ask him to help me prepare for the national finals,” said Comendador, a native of Tagbilaran.
“We are very pleased to see the Boholano community come together in the Milo marathon. Even though Bohol still has a long way to go in their recovery from the 2013 earthquake, the resilience and courage exhibited by the Boholenos is truly admirable. We are happy to see the Boholano spirit on display in the race,” said Milo Sports marketing manager Andrew Neri.
With the support of the Department of Education and the National Milo Marathon runners, Milo’s Help Gives Shoes advocacy will provide 16,000 underprivileged youth with brand-new running shoes and reach the 50,000 mark this year. As Milo celebrates its 50th year, Help Give Shoes aims to make the donation to students in Yolanda-hit cities, particularly Tacloban, Ormoc, and Eastern Samar.